Sports gambling advertising is very aggressive. In England, 9 out of 20 soccer teams have jerseys sponsored by online betting firms, and most teams have official betting partners. Viewers are bombarded with gambling ads.

Social marketing to those who follow sports will expose young people to gambling. Studies indicate that youth who view these ads are more likely to gamble. The number of gambling addicted youth (4-8 percent) is already DOUBLE the number of addicted adults (2-4 percent).

Concerns about athletes. Problem gambling among professional athletes could be 3 times worse than among the general population, according to a survey of top-level professional athletes in the UK. The availability of bets on outcomes within games has created opportunities for corruption.(“Supreme Court’s sports betting ruling potentially opens door to UK-style industry”, NBC News, May 31, 2018)

The cost to taxpayers is $3 to $7 for every $1 benefit from legalizing gambling activities, and sports gambling and Internet gambling create the higher socio-economic costs. ( Prof. John Kindt testimony, April 3, 2018)

Gambling is an unstable source of revenue that cannot solve the State budget problems. Gambling companies make a fortune off Illinois residents losing!